{Mama Meets the Midwest}

"We're not in Kansas anymore!" I quoted the familiar line to Jamie as I puzzled over the unusual whitish hue of the highways. And then I caught myself. "Wait -- we are in Kansas!" I laughed, but from time to time I still caught myself starting to say it out of sheer habit as other unfamiliar sights caught my eye.

Last week Jamie and I packed our bags and boarded a plane, sans kids, for a trip to Kansas City. (Naturally, this prompted me to burst into song with alarming regularity. "Everything's up to date in Kansas City!" I'm sure Jamie loved it.) His cousin was getting married and had asked if he'd do the video. We were delighted to go, especially since Jamie has been wanting to show me this part of the country -- his childhood summer playground -- ever since we got married.

It was a pretty quick trip, but we packed in quite a bit. Yet it didn't feel rushed or stressful. It was wonderful to visit with family (most of whom I'd only met once or twice, if at all) and to see the sights and hear the sounds of the Midwest. And, as much as we love our children, it was special to have that time away as a couple.

Our first day swept us into rehearsal dinner mode (the bride and groom ordered a taco food truck to cater and it was amazing and so much fun!), and the following day was the wedding day. But before the wedding, Jamie had a very important stop to make: we needed to have ribs. We grabbed his brother, Peter, from the hotel and headed toward Oklahoma Joe's. Everyone else in town had the same idea. (Apparently they have this idea daily -- it's quite famous.) We waited in line for almost an hour before ordering. But it was worth it! Ribs and shredded pork, onion rings, coleslaw and sweet tea -- we did it all.
 

And then we were off to the reception venue. Peter and I were in charge of the twirling little flower girls during wedding prep. By "in charge," I mean that we sat and watched Frozen together and guarded their coiffed curls with our lives. I'm no stranger to the movie, but since my girls are a little bit older, I wasn't prepared for the number of times the girls would rise from the couch to dance and sway and act out their favorite scenes with amazing accuracy. It was fascinating and darling. As little girls tend to be.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?"

I asked if I could take her picture. I think she assumed I wanted to photograph her new do.

The wedding was lovely and meaningful. I got to man a camera since Jamie wanted a couple of angles. (This meant that I pushed the button and stood there. I'm pretty sure I nailed it.)

Jamie and his cousin, Eric, the groom.

Jamie and Peter

And then the happy bride and groom were whisked away to the reception hall where we enjoyed visiting and dancing and wonderful refreshments. I met lots of family and tried to remember names, but whether or not I got the right name with the right face, I felt welcomed and loved.

The next day we headed out of town toward Chillicothe, stopping to visit with missionary friends on the way. I didn't know what to expect in a small Missouri town -- I certainly didn't expect to fire a .22 or get attacked by a June bug -- but I knew I was in for a great adventure. But more on Chillicothe next time!